The joint influence of acquired capability for suicide and stoicism on over-exercise among women

We investigated longitudinal relationships among eating disorder behaviors, stoicism, and the acquired capability for suicide (ACS), which is a construct comprised of pain tolerance and fearlessness about death. University students (n = 150) completed assessments measuring stoicism, ACS, and eating disorder behaviors at two time points approximately 30 days apart. Among women, there was a quadratic relationship between ACS and over-exercise behaviors, such that as ACS increased the positive association between ACS and over-exercise became more pronounced. Further, among women, ACS moderated the relationship between stoicism and over-exercise, such that high levels of ACS in combination with stoicism predicted increases in over-exercise. Results suggest that ACS in combination with stoicism may lead women to engage in more eating disordered behaviors, like over-exercise.